Game 18 - Class is in
Jonatan Clase is here to play.
Clase got the Mariners on the board first in Tuesday’s weird and thrilling 3-1 victory over the Reds. After Mitch Garver took a slider in the ribs, Clase doubled him home on a 97 mph, 18 degree line drive into the right-center gap. It was his first RBI and second hit in MLB.
The decision to call up Clase was a bit surprising. Dom Canzone, of course, won the bulk of the playing time in left field out of Spring Training. And he was hitting well enough early to squeeze Luke Raley all but out of the rotation. When Canzone tried to run through a wall on Sunday (and lost), Raley was the logical beneficiary. It seemed like the Mariners would call up Samad Taylor, who was up briefly when Ty France went on paternity leave, or perhaps Cade Marlowe or Brian Anderson—i.e., role players with MLB experience who could supplement a Raley-filled lineup.
But instead they called on Clase, and not just for pomp and circumstance. Scott Servais said he’s “here to play.”
The move suggests the Mariners are looking for a spark. The offense has struggled to string together consistent at bats, and another role player doesn’t move the needle. Clase, a top 100 prospect by ZiPS, is expected to eventually be a full-time, productive batter, and the Mariners are hoping he’s there now.
While I’m skeptical Clase is ready to put together 600 good plates appearances (he has all of 53 plate appearances above AA), it’s certainly possible he can put together 60. He had a 144 wRC+ in AAA this year and showed good power and reduced strikeouts. His heart swing index also ranked in the top 10% of the minors, suggesting he’s seeing the ball well and comfortable in his approach. There’s something to be said for a hot streak, and the Mariners are hoping to capture that until Canzone returns.
Clase’s promotion, however, raises further questions about Raley’s role on the team.
The trade to bring Raley to Seattle this offseason seemed like a perfect match. He posted a 130 wRC+ in 2023, and the Mariners needed a corner outfielder who could mash right handed pitching.
But while Canzone surged in the spring, Raley struggled. And as the season drew closer, red flags started popping up for Raley with talk of a new meritocracy. Servais said in March that playing time would go to the hot hand in an attempt to trade early reps for early wins.
“If one guy gets off strong and he’s going pretty good, he’s going to get regular playing time,” Servais told Ryan Divish in Spring Training. “That’s just the way it works. Dom’s had an awesome spring. He’s clearly made some adjustments to his game. He’s much stronger. He’s getting really good results. He’s checking a lot of the boxes.”
Servais maintained there would be “plenty of opportunity for both of them,” but said Raley’s playing time would depend on the matchup.
“Raley’s got a little bit more experience in the league, so he’ll have a little bit more track record. So there might be some just personal matchups that favor him. Maybe something jumps out. He’s faced a guy seven or eight times and he’s done OK against him. I may weigh that into playing that night. But it will be matchup driven.”
There haven’t been many of those matchups early on. Some of that is Raley’s own doing. He struck out three times on Tuesday, raising his strikeout rate 40% and lowering his wRC+ to 19. He hasn’t swung at good pitches or made inspiring contact or looked good on defense. It’s hard to find opportunities for someone who is clearly in a slump.
But it’s understandably difficult to hit Major League pitching when you’re averaging fewer than two plate appearances per game. Servais said recently he wants to get Raley more playing time and has spoken to him about the issue.
“It’s really easy to be a forgotten man,” Servais said.
Servais made clever use of rest days the last three games to work Raley into the lineup—in center for Julio on Sunday; in right for Mitch Garver on Monday (Mitch Haniger slid to DH); and at first for Ty France on Tuesday. That versatility should help keep Raley around long enough to hopefully find his swing.
It’s possible Raley is just a streaky player.
Most saw the addition of Raley and his .353 wOBA in 2023 and expected a consistently good batter that could lengthen the Mariners lineup on most days. But it’s possible the Mariners saw Raley as a month-long hot streak waiting to happen. His bat may be dormant now, but they hope eventually a period will come when he carries the offense.
“You always know you’re one swing away from things turning around,” Raley said Tuesday afternoon.
The rest of Tuesday’s win over the Reds was strange to say the least. The Mariners offense looked simultaneously inept and threatening. By my composite rating, it was their worst game of the season. They struggled to make contact and struck out 15 times, reclaiming their position as the most strikeout-prone team in MLB. But they also worked counts and drew seven walks, applying consistent pressure to Reds pitchers and coming up with big hits when it mattered.
Logan Gilbert had another solid game, with six strikeouts and three hits over 6 2/3 innings. He did forfeit the Mariners walk-less streak at 35 innings on his last batter of the game.
That’s when things got interesting. Servais brought in Andrés Muñoz to relieve Gilbert in the seventh with two outs and a runner on first. He immediately walked the speedy Elly De La Cruz. Muñoz then allowed a line drive single to Nick Martini, and it looked like the Reds would pull closer at 3-2. But Julio scooped up the ball in left center and made an excellent throw to nab De La Cruz attempting to go first to third. The tag beat Jake Fraley jogging home, and the Reds failed to score.
The Reds threatened again in the ninth. Ryne Stanek walked the leadoff batter before getting two consecutive fly outs. Stanek got Fraley to hit a dribbler to first but the ball was mishandled. Ty France recovered and flipped to Stanek, who made a miraculous diving attempt to tag Fraley in one of the more interesting plays I’ve seen this season. Stanek fell just short though, and then walked De La Cruz to load the bases. Taylor Saucedo came on and got Tyler Stephenson to fly out to end the game.
The victory marked the first series win for the Mariners in 2024. They go for the sweep on Wednesday.